Since being established in 1976, the University of Arizona Cancer Center has worked to prevent and cure cancer.

The Cancer Center is one of 41 comprehensive cancer centers in the nation and the only one headquartered in and serving the entire state of Arizona that has been designated by the National Cancer Institute as aComprehensive Cancer Center, the NCI's highest designation. That designation is reserved for centers focusing on patient care as well as basic and clinical research, prevention, education, outreach and training.

The Cancer Center has an NCI Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant for gastrointestinal cancers and it also has a SPORE for lymphatic cancers.

The Cancer Center is a leader in research on women's cancers (breast, ovarian), men's cancers (prostate), gastrointestinal cancers (colon, pancreas and liver), lymphoma and skin cancers and is home to one of the largest Cancer Prevention and Control Programs among the nation's comprehensive cancer centers, with leading prevention research in breast, colon, lung, prostate and skin cancers.